Method of making railway car axle journal bearings



March 1, 1938; w. w. PATTISON ET AL 2,109,890

METHOD OF MAKING RAILWAY CAR AXLE JOURNAL BEARINGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 11v VEN TORS Filed March 23, 1956 I jnu-i & E N

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March 1, 1938. w. w. PATTISAON, ET AL 2,109,890

METHOD OF MAKING RAILWAY CAR AXLE JOURNAL BEARINGS Filed March 25, 1936 v KSheetsSheet 2 '.FIG.3.

E Q G A N E A m 4+ l 1 :5 J O Q O E H x f FIGA I A v 1; Q E a F2 I, v JV L .1 I Maw v f WAYNE WQPATTIsON v w x2 INVENTORS B Y FREDERICK J- SANGER .4 TTORNEYS March 1, 1938. w. w. PATTISON ET AL. 2,109,890 I METHOD OF MAKING RAILWAY CAR AXLE JOURNAL BEARINGS Filed March 25, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I c I it ga -1...- L 6 E If [NE FIG]. 2:25am;-

A TTORNE VS Patented Mar. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,109,890 I METHOD or MAKING RAILWAY CAR AXLE JOURNAL BEARINGS Wayne W. Pattison and Frederick J. Sandner, Detroit, Mich, assignors to Bohn Aluminum & Brass Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation 01' Michigan l Application March 23, 1930, Serial o. 70,427

4 Claims.

The invention relates to railway car axle journal bearings and it is the object of the invention to obtain an improved construction and to facilitate the manufacture of the same. In the present state of the art, railway car axle journal bearings have been. standardized, both as to form and dimensions. It is also usual to form these bearings of cast bronze orbrass and with some constructions there is a lining or wearing l0 face formed of babbitt. This improves the antifriction properties but in case of a hot box the babbitt will be melted and it is, therefore, necessarythat the body portion of the bearing should be capable of carrying the load under such condition. However, this melting of the babbitt facing is very undesirable, and it is one of the objects of the present invention to obtain a construction which wiil avoid such result. It is a further object to obtain a construction in which -{tne babbitt lining has a greater density and purity so as to have greater resistance to load, and a higher thermal conductivity useful in dissipating heat.

Babbitt lined journal bearings have heretore been formed by centrifugally casting the babbitt in the supporting shell'. ,In this process, the shell is either a complete annulus or comprises hali' sections clamped to eachother to form such annulus. A railway car axle journal hearing has an arcuate bearing face which is considerably less than a'half circle and, consequently, it is incapable of being centrifugally babbitted in the manner above described. We have, therefore, devised a .novel method of accomplishing the desired result, and have further, devised an apparatus for receiving and holding the journal hearings in suchrelation that they may be centrifugally babbitt lined. The invention therefore, consists: I

First, in the novel construction of a centrifugally babbitt ing; 1 Second, in the method of lining said bearing.

Inthe drawings: Figure. 1 is aside elevation of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a front end elevation thereof; Figure 3 is a cross-section;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section on line 4-4 50 of Figure 3; A

' Figure 5 is a perspective view-of one of the 56 Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4, but taken lined railway car axle journal bearon line 7-1, of Figure 3 and. showing the assembled unit as initially introduced into the holder. The standard construction of railway car axle journal bearing comprises a body member A, generally formed of brass or bronze, having an arouate inner face B and a polygonal outer face C. There are also laterally extending flanges D at each side of the arcuate portion suitably fashioned for engagement with cooperating members in the car axle box. A single bearing is used in each. car axle box, this being arranged above the axle to carry the load thereinto. However, with our improved method, we simultaneously babbitt two of these bearings arranged opposite each other. As the arcuate faces are less'than ahalf circle, we place between these bearings complementary members or'shims E which will space them apart so that the centers of the arcs will coincide. The members E have a portion E which is arranged between the flanges D and which extend inward to be flush with the arcuate faces of the bearings. The members E are also 'provided with flanges E which bear against the outer. ends of the flanges D and are correspondingly fashioned. Thus, by clamping these flanges E of the members E'against the flangesD there will be formed a complete annulus with the bearings V and internally of a cross-sectional contour corresponding to the external contour of the assembled members A and E. Thus, the assembled unit may be inserted axially within the frame I to be 81"! ranged concentric with the axis of the rotary spindle. Sufiicient clearance is provided to permit of readily inserting and removing the assembly from the frame, and set screws J are arranged to be tightened against the shims on opposite sides of the frame to exactly center the-assembly. At the front end of the frame I is a removable head K which'after the insertion of the bearing and shinrassembly can be secured by bolts K. This head has an axial opening K which flares inwardly.

The method of procedure in the centrifugal babbitting of a pair of car axle journal bearings is as follows:

The bearings A are preheated on a gas plate or any other suitable means to a temperature of approximately 250 F. I'he inner arcuate surfaces are then swabbed with a suitable flux, such as zinc chloride. The bearings are then gripped with tongs at one end and plunged into the bonding alloy which is maintained at a temperature of 660 F. being permitted to remain immersed in the bath for about one and one-half minutes. Upon removal, the surplus bonding alloy'is wiped off and the bearings, are assembled with the shims E which have been previously heated to about 300 F. The members of the assembly are held together by a clamp L applied at one end, while the opposite end is inserted in the hollow frame I, the spindle being stationary. After insertion, the set screws J are tightened and the head K is placed in position and secured by the bolts K. Rotary motion is then imparted to the spindle, preferably at 650 R. P. M. A babbitt of suitable composition such as 3 to 5% tin, 8 to 10% antimony and 85 to 88% lead and at a temperature of 840 F. is then pouredinto the opening K of the head K and will be immediately distributed by centrifugal action around the inner faces of themembers A and E. The speed of rotation is then preferably increased to 800 R. P. M., and a blast oi cooling air is directed from a nozzle M against the outer face of the revolving frame I for approximately five minutes. The head K is then removed and the bearing shim assembly is removed. The babbitt lining will be a complete annulus N, but as the shims have not been coated with a bonding alloy, they will not adhere to the casting and are readily separable therefrom and from the bearings A. The two bearings can then be separated by cutting off the portions N of the babbitt extending between the same.

A railway car axle journal bearing babbitt lined in the manner above described is superior in performance on account of the high density and purity of the lining and resulting high thermal conductivity and greater resistance to load.

What we claim as our invention is:

1, In a method of forming railway car axle journal bearings, the steps of assembling a pair of oppositely facing bearing bodies having their arcuate inner faces coated with a bonding material together with a pair of complementary arcuate shims therebetween the whole forming a closed annulus, placing the assembly in arotary holder with the axis of the cylindrical surface substantially coincident with the rotational axis,

spinning the holder, pouring molten metal into the interior thereof in suflicient quantity to form a continuous annular lining, continuing the spin- .ning until solidification takes place, removing closed annulus with a substantially cylindrical inner surface, placing the heated assembly in a rotary holder for retaining the members in fixed relation, spinning the holder, introducing molten metal in suflicient quantity to extend inward beyond the inner faces of the shims, continuing the spinning until solidification takes place, removing from the holder, separating the shims from the bearings, and severing the cast segments which were adjacent to the inner faces of the shims from the portions cast in and bonded to the bearings.

3. In a method of forming railway car axle journal bearings, the steps of assembling a bear ing body having a limited arcuate surface with complementary means for forming a closed annulus with a substantially cylindrical inner surface, placing the assembly in a rotary holder with the axis of the cylindrical surface substantially coincident with the rotational axis, spinning the holder, introducing molten metal into the interior of the annulus to form a lining therefor, continuing the spinning until solidification takes place, removing from the holder and severing the portion cast in the complementary means from the lining of the bearing.

4. In a method of forming railway car axle journal bearings, the steps of assembling a pair of oppositely facing bearing bodies with complementary means for forming a closed annulus with a substantially cylindrical inner surface, placing the assembly in a rotary holder with the axis of the cylindrical surface substantially coincident with the rotational axis, spinning the holder, introducing molten metal into the interior of the annulus to form a lining therefor, continuing the spinning until solidification takes place, removing from the holder and cutting off the cast segments opposite the complementary means from the linings of the bearings.

'WAYNE W. PA'ITISON.

FREDERICK J. SANDNER. 

